Crazy Legs
A feature length documentary about the life and career of stand-up comedy veteran
CHRIS FONSECA
Crazy Legs is a feature length documentary about how a comedian faced with tremendous adversity built a career in the entertainment industry, overcame the trappings of fame, and thrived as a man with Cerebral Palsy. Fonseca’s charm, sharp wit and appreciation for the art of the joke propelled a career in stand-up comedy unlike any other. Among his many accolades, he was the first stand-up comedian with a physical disability to appear on The Late Show with David Letterman. A pillar in the Latino and handicapped communities, Fonseca broke down long-standing barriers in the entertainment industry and continues to do so. Using a treasure trove of archival footage, Crazy Legs weaves together Fonseca’s hilarious late-night and comedy festival performances with newly shot interviews, and a brand new comedy special, to carefully construct the portrait of a talented comedian who just happens to have Cerebral Palsy.
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"What do I do with adversity? I laugh at it."
-- Chris Fonseca​"
"Chris "Crazy Legs" Fonseca is one of the best hard joke writers I've ever heard."
-- Dave Chapelle
Crazy Legs Team
Chris Fonseca
Executive Producer
Chris “Crazy Legs” Fonseca is a Mexican-American actor, writer and stand-up comedian. Chris was born with Cerebral Palsy due to his mother dying during his birth. His elderly aunt and uncle who were both Mexican immigrants raised him in Fort Morgan, Colorado. He attended Trinidad State Junior College on a Dow Jones scholarship he received as a result of being one of four national winners of a minority-writing contest. He began doing stand-up comedy as a sophomore in college and quickly moved up the local comedy circuits. After touring for three years, he hit late-night and was a guest on The Arsenio Hall Show and The Late Show with David Letterman. He was the first comedian with a physical disability to appear on The Late Show. He was later featured on the hit series, Baywatch. At the height of his career, he was performing over two hundred shows a year, often bringing his five children on the road with him. Chris has enjoyed a forty-year-long career and was inducted into the Colorado Arts and Entertainment Hall of Fame in 2019. Chris explains that he’s not out on a mission to demonstrate what handicapped people can or cannot do. “Don’t come to one of my shows expecting a motivational speaker, come expecting dick jokes!”
Kris Simms
Writer Producer
Kristopher Garcia-Simms is a Denver based screenwriter, producer, podcast host and advocate for information-issues effecting Latino and Native American communities.
"When I helped Chris travel to one of his shows, I came to understand how Cerebral Palsy impacts his day-to-day life. With the wheelchair, getting from point A to B isn’t so simple. What do you do when there’s no ramp to the stage or when the handicapped bathroom is out of order? I faced a few moments of despair and that was only from helping my friend travel to a single show. I asked him, “Is all of this worth it?” I soon got the answer. When Chris took the stage, he went from sitting in a wheelchair to being able to fly. Dave Chappelle echoed this sentiment when he told us, “When Chris Fonseca is on stage, he grows from a handicapped man into a giant.”
Dave Franco
Director Editor
David Franco has worked in the entertainment industry since 2006. He is a passionate storyteller and proficient in many aspects of the filmmaking process in addition to having several thousand hours behind the camera. He has directed two feature films, worked as a photojournalist, and is currently the Director of Video for the Denver-based marketing and PR firm, Communications Strategy Group.
"Chris’s story is one that needs to be told because it is the story of taking control of one's identity. I feel his story in my soul and know that it will resonate with those who have had those experiences where others try and define you. Chris leads through example on how to create art and how to connect with people, bridging chasms of life experience, ethnicity, able-bodiedness, and perception. This paradigm shift has been a cornerstone of this production and the way we are approaching the story from a visual perspective."
ACCESSIBILITY
The accessibility of our film to deaf, disabled and neurodiverse audience members is of the upmost importance to our production. In fact, it is one of our main goals. Voiceitt has agreed to consult us on enhancing the cinematic experience for our deaf, disabled and neurodiverse audiences.